A practical method for rescuing desired hybridomas during monoclonal antibody production

Summary We present a practical method for the rescue of previosly stable hybridoma clones which increases the proportion of desired cells in the population before cloning by limiting dilution. When the antibody activity of a culture supernatant was lower than that previously obtained, a precloning distribution at a density of 10 cells per microtiter well greatly improved the chances of obtaining a single active clone by subsequent limiting dilution. The Poisson distribution model was used to evaluate the method. Probabilities calculated clearly demonstrate the advantage of this precloning distribution step when attempting to isolate a hydridoma cell line that is relatively rare in a population. This work was supported in part by grants EY 06225 and EY 06226 from the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD and by an unrestricted departmental award from Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc.     

The TNF-Family Cytokine TL1A Inhibits Proliferation of Human Activated B Cells

Death receptor (DR3) 3 is a member of the TNFR superfamily. Its ligand is TNF-like ligand 1A (TL1A), a member of the TNF superfamily. TL1A/DR3 interactions have been reported to modulate the functions of T cells, NK, and NKT cells and play a crucial role in driving inflammatory processes in several T-cell-dependent autoimmune diseases. However, TL1A expression and effects on B cells remain largely unknown. In this study, we described for the first time that B cells from human blood express significant amounts of DR3 in response to B cell receptor polyclonal stimulation. The relevance of these results has been confirmed by immunofluorescence analysis in tonsil and spleen tissue specimens, which showed the in situ expression of DR3 in antigen-stimulated B cells in vivo. Remarkably, we demonstrated that TL1A reduces B-cell proliferation induced by anti-IgM-antibodies and IL-2 but did not affect B-cell survival, suggesting that TL1A inhibits the signal(s) important for B-cell proliferation. These results revealed a novel function of TL1A in modulating B-cell proliferation in vitro and suggest that TL1A may contribute to homeostasis of effector B-cell functions in immune response and host defense, thus supporting the role of the TL1A/DR3 functional axis in modulating the adaptive immune response.     

Herpesvirus Particles in Prostatic Carcinoma Cells

Herpesvirus particles were found in cancer cells from a human prostate adenocarcinoma. These particles were identified as herpesvirus on the basis of specific immunofluorescence staining, morphology, and size.     

Floc Formation by Azospirillum lipoferum Grown on Poly-β-Hydroxybutyrate

Azospirillum lipoferum RG6xx was grown under conditions similar to those resulting in encystment of Azotobacter spp. A. lipoferum produced cells of uniform shape when grown on nitrogen-free β-hydroxybutyrate agar. Cells accumulated poly-β-hydroxybutyrate and often grew as chains or filaments that eventually lost motility and formed capsules. Within 1 week, vegetative A. lipoferum inocula were converted into microflocs arising from filaments or chains. Cells within microflocs were pleomorphic, contained much poly-β-hydroxybutyrate, and were encapsulated. Some cells had a cystlike morphology. Up to 57% of the dry weight of encapsulated flocs was poly-β-hydroxybutyrate, whereas vegetative cells grown in broth with combined nitrogen had only 3% of their dry weight as poly-β-hydroxybutyrate. Neither encapsulated cells in flocs nor nonencapsulated vegetative cells were significantly desiccation resistant. Under starvation conditions (9 days) only 25% of encapsulated cells remained viable, whereas vegetative cells multiplied severalfold. In short-term germination experiments with encapsulated flocs, nitrate, ammonium, and soil extract promoted formation of motile vegetative cells. Most cells in treatments lacking combined nitrogen eventually depleted their visible poly-β-hydroxybutyrate reserves without germinating. The remaining cells retained the reserve polymer and underwent size reduction.     

Radioimmunocytochemical localization of retinal S-antigen with monoclonal antibodies

Two monoclonal antibodies (RSA1/83 and RSA2/83) were developed against a homogeneous preparation of bovine retinal S-antigen. The two hybridomas produced by mouse X mouse hybrid myeloma cells secrete immunoglobulin G. Indirect autoradiography on glutaraldehyde-fixed preparations of bovine explants was used to locate the antigenic site. Antibody RSA1/83 recognizes the antigen primarily in the apical region of the rod outer segment, while antibody RSA2/83 located the antigen both in the outer and inner segments of the rod photoreceptor cells. A distinct band of silver grains also appeared along the inner limiting membrane with both antibodies. Control explants showed no specific labeling pattern over the various retinal compartments.     

VR09 Cell Line: An EBV-Positive Lymphoblastoid Cell Line with In Vivo Characteristics of Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma of Activated B-Cell Type

Background

small B-cell neoplasms can show plasmacytic differentiation and may potentially progress to aggressive lymphoma (DLBCL). Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection may cause the transformation of malignant cells in vitro.

Design and Method

we established VR09 cell line with plasmacytic differentiation, obtained from a case of atypical, non-CLL B-cell chronic lymphoproliferative disease with plasmacytic features. We used flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, polymerase chain reaction, cytogenetic analysis and florescence in situ hybridization in the attempt at thoroughly characterizing the cell line. We showed VR09 tumorigenic potential in vivo, leading to the development of activated DLBCL with plasmacytic features.

Results

VR09 cells displayed plasmacytic appearance and grew as spherical tumors when inoculated subcutaneously into immunodeficient Rag2^−/− γ-chain^−/− mice. VR09 cell line and tumors displayed the phenotype of activated stage of B cell maturation, with secretory differentiation (CD19+ CD20+ CD79a+ CD79b+/− CD138+ cyclin D1- Ki67 80% IgM+ IgD+ MUM1+ MNDA+ CD10- CD22+ CD23+ CD43+ K+, λ- Bcl2+ Bcl6-) and they presented episomal EBV genome, chromosome 12 trisomy, lack of c-MYC rearrangement and Myd88 gene mutation, presence of somatic hypermutation in the VH region, and wild-type p53.

Conclusion

This new EBV-positive cell line may be useful to further characterize in vivo activated DLBCL with plasmacytic features.     

Induction of apoptosis in Jeko-1 mantle cell lymphoma cell line by resveratrol: a proteomic analysis

Therapies for mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) are clinically unsatisfactory, and the search for effective drugs in vitro might foster the evaluation of their activity in vivo. We have investigated the effects of the polyphenolic compound resveratrol on the MCL cell line Jeko-1 using a combination of flow cytometry, Western blotting and two-dimensional electrophoresis to identify the molecules involved in the induction of apoptosis and cell growth regulation. We show that resveratrol induces apoptosis in Jeko-1 cells and modulates several key molecules, including cyclin D1 (CCND1), p53 (TP53), p21 (CDKN1A), BCL2, BAX, Bcl XL (BCL2L1), caspase 9 (CASP9) and p27 (CDKN1B). By high-resolution 2D-PAGE and nano-reverse phase-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry, we identified 32 differentially expressed proteins in response to resveratrol treatment that belong to important cell death related networks (including c-myc, NF-kappaB and the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway). These findings may improve the understanding of mechanisms mediating the pro-apoptotic effects of resveratrol on MCL cells, and form the basis for its potential use as a therapeutic agent.